Rules

Brave New Worlds is a lightweight, roleplay-focused sandbox tabletop RPG. The rules exist to support and inform the storytelling — not to replace it. Every mechanic is designed to be simple enough to stay out of the way while still giving meaningful weight to your character's choices and capabilities.

The game takes place across a sprawling network of worlds connected by ancient gates. Characters are defined by four core attributes, a set of trained skills, and the quirks and mutations that make them distinct.

Brave New Worlds uses a single d100 (percentile) for all skill checks and attribute tests. The goal is always to roll under your target number — lower is better.

Your target number is your relevant skill level plus any applicable attribute bonus granted by the Game Master for that roll.

If you roll under your target number, you succeed. If you roll over it, you fail. The margin of success or failure is up to the GM to interpret — a roll of 02 on a target of 60 is a clean, confident success, while a 58 on the same target scraped through by the skin of your teeth.

Some situations — or a character's innate nature — shift the odds of a skill roll beyond a simple bonus or penalty. Two special modifiers capture this: Purpose and Apprehension.

Both modifiers affect how your attribute score contributes to a roll. Normally, your relevant attribute adds a flat bonus to your skill level (+5, +10, or +15 based on the tier). Purpose and Apprehension change that relationship.